This reminded me to take a moment and give gratitude for those that put their lives on the line so that I can live in a free country – Thank you. Words don’t do justice the gratitude I feel – but they’ll have to do for now. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to wake up and realize that you may have to kill people or put yourself in a situation where you could be killed. To all those that have fought and are fighting – Thank you for all that you do.

That’s it. This has reminded me to say a prayer every day for our service men and women – WE owe them – big time….

I’m parting the curtain to tell you why I’m posting all this inspirational, mind-set, self-growth info. It’s because I’m studying and implementing it like mad.

It’s also because as a soul-entrpreneur, I believe that your mind-set is THE MOST important factor for your success. Yes, I shouted, because I’m that passionate about the fact that having a positive mindset along with strategic marketing that promotes a good product will give you fantastic results.

In fact, I am writing a book about this very subject. The book is about women soul-entrepreneurs, woman who have developed their passion, what they truly love to do, into six figure and in some cases million dollar businesses. And, they are using the internet as their place of business. They don’t have retail stores, they don’t sell shoes or widgets – they sell information. And, their products are all so different yet they share these qualities – a positive mind set, courage and faith. They also are givers – they give of themselves and get back far more than they give. In fact, the more they give – the more they receive. And, they want to impact the world in a positive way. That’s big thinking.

So, here’s a peek at my other passion – business and marketing. That’s why Seth Godin’s blog is the only blog I recommend at the moment. He has such great insights into marketing and life really that I relish his posts.

So, you’ll start to see a mix of mindset and marketing here – I hope you like it.

I don’t care what business you are in, at some level it’s service related. It has to be when two humans interact in the sales process. So, have you tried to buy your product/service as a customer would lately? If you sell online, how easy is it for the customer to make the purchase, how is your customer service? Do you go above and beyond just the sale with a thank you and maybe a surprise bonus gift? Do you follow up a month or so after to make sure that the customer is happy with their purchase, maybe include another freebie?

If you sell a physical product in a brick and mortar environment – this will probably have to be done by a secret shopper. How were they treated during the sales process? Were they made to feel welcomed or just treated like a number?

This is a good exercise to see your sales process in action and remember that the most effective sales process happens when you develop rapport and a relationship with your client/customer no matter how long or brief the interaction might be.

Being in service to your customers is honoring that relationship at its highest level and will help create raving fans. Give more than your competition. Give the extra touch that will make your customer/client feel special. It will come back to you many times over in repeat business and referrals.

Barbara Glanz has an excellent example of how simple it can be to provide excellent service – check it out.